Barriss Offee

Still mad about how The Clone Wars treated Barriss Offee. Like, it's not surprising, but it still ticks me off. She's one of the many characters I'd like to incorporate in my fic at some point. I'd just have to think about what angle I want to approach that from. Certainly not how the show handled her, lol.

I also don't like the idea of just changing her character so she's fine with the war. Because what I objected to was not her objection to the war. Because supporting the Clone Wars is wrong! And not just because its entire purpose was to put Palpatine in power. Even if Palpatine had died during or directly after the war, that wouldn't have changed how incredibly evil it was.

Lets look at just a few things the Clone Wars entailed:
*putting those in impoverished and marginalized Outer Rim planets 'in their place' (eg. The start of the Geonosian genocide, the Kaleesh on Kalee being dominated by the Huk slavers who were supported by the Republic)
*use of slaves raised from birth for the purpose of being soldiers for the Republic
*use of child soldiers by the Republic
*assorted war crimes like Obi-Wan's fake surrender

It frustrates me that the Republic is viewed as 'good but flawed' or 'just a little misguided' despite these really major issues, and not only that, but that the Separatists are mostly presented as this nameless, faceless evil Other with their leaders all being these cardboard cutout evil characters. This is a criticism I have of Filoni and Lucas but also of a lot of the fan discussion and portrayal of these things. It just seems that mostly people don't care deeply (if at all) about any of these things as long as their faves get the outcome they want (and whether that's a happy or tragic end is somewhat immaterial to this issue). Like, hey, I understand having an interest for specific characters, and wanting to see certain things regarding their stories, I just wish so many people didn't seem to think that what happens with the Designated Main Characters can really address any of these things by itself, or that killing Palpatine is the end-all be-all of destroying these evils when there were plenty of others who could have said 'no' to this before the war ended...but didn't. And also considering a lot of this stuff was going on before Palpatine was Chancellor, and if Kotor II is anything to go by (Republic bombing of the Ubese homeworld into a "radioactive ball"), before any of these characters were even born.

Therefore, the fact that Barriss did say no, should not be cast as some misguided evil, and the way that The Clone Wars chooses to portray that as such is part of what upsets me. But also the way so much of the fandom seems to accept the 'Barriss is evil' moral judgment implicit in the show at face value without examining it any further. Like, is it really just a minor thing to use slaves, child soldiers, help slavers (eg. Jabba the Hutt), commit genocide, and perpetuate war crimes? Is it evil to realize those things are wrong and say no to them? What kind of morality would say that saying no to those things is evil?

Characters Can't Possess Culpability

I have long had an appreciation for a wide range of characters regardless of whether I find them very relatable, or how they treat other characters I may like, or if I think they are moral individuals. I don't think it's good for people treat characters as if they actually did anything right or wrong or had any choice or agency in their narrative choices when the writer chooses all of that, always. Like, a character isn't necessarily a better character the more moral they are. A character is a good character if they fulfill a worthwhile narrative purpose. That purpose might not even be the original creator's intention for the character, but a reinterpretation of them. Also, bad characters aren't bad because they're evil, they're bad because they're badly written in some way. Both good and evil characters can be bad characters. It's also okay to like bad characters, or dislike them, or like good characters, or dislike them. The quality of a character does not entail an obligation for people to feel a certain way about them.

When critiquing a character, one should never forget that they're not critiquing a person, but a fictional creation. Therefore the actions of that creation can only be evaluated in the context of how they contribute to the wider narrative, and what they might imply about the intended or unintended themes or messages of that narrative. It's not like a real person who can be judged on their own words and actions.

Time Management

Alas, my time management skills lacking. Guess I'll just play some more SWTOR.